Muni finally closes criminal ‘safe house’
Several complaints over the past three years about an abandoned house situated at 53 Thabo Mbeki Street have finally been heard by the Polokwane Municipality
POLOKWANE –Â Residents claim the house is used as a hideout for criminals, which posed a serious threat to school children who visited the house before and after school.
The house was also highlighted as being a place where younger street children were given a place to stay in return for robbing people.
Complaints had also been received from residents in the area that it was a health risk due to the illegal dumping and the presence of snakes and rodents.
According to municipal spokesperson, Matshidiso Mothapo, in the case of a house that has been abandoned or left to be made unsightly by rubble, the municipality may eventually clean the premises at cost to the owner or have it closed and fenced off.
Mothapo says there may be several reasons why it may take a long time for the municipality to act on a property.
“It is important to note that some of the buildings or pieces of land that are abandoned may be in such a deteriorating state either because of estate disputes or because they are subject to insurance investigations or still undergoing legal processes, and the municipality can only act after these external processes have been concluded,” says Mothapo.
He says cases may be reported to the municipality’s buildings inspection section and the land management sections for investigation and to be captured on the database of potential properties for acquisition in line with the land acquisition, holding and disposal policy as adopted by council.
He urges residents to report these matters to the municipality on (015) 290 2000.
